The Most Serious Sleep Apnea Consequences

You know the most obvious symptoms of sleep apnea such as snoring, waking up tired and feeling wasted all day.

You’ve probably also heard that sleep apnea contributes to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and many other serious diseases.

But there is one condition caused by sleep apnea that may be more serious than any other, and it has gone completely undiagnosed till now, as highlighted by a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Scientists observed that both PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and sleep apnea were common among U.S. military veterans, which gave them their subject population.

They found 177 military veterans who were newly diagnosed with sleep apnea and, after subjecting them to psychological tests, divided them into groups with and without PTSD.

They completed the military edition of the PTSD Checklist, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and a reported nightmare frequency questionnaire at the beginning of the study, and again after six months.

The subjects were then given continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for their sleep apnea, and the researchers used the CPAP machines to assess their compliance with the treatment.

After six months of treatment, the PTSD sufferers experienced a drop in their scores on the PTSD Checklist and had substantially fewer nightmares than before the study.

However, this result depended to a significant extent on their compliance with the treatment, with the greatest compliance resulting in the largest PTSD improvement.

PTSD is of course not only a veteran’s issue. It’s extremely common and very often relates to substance abuse, suicides and other self-destructive activities, making this perhaps the most dangerous consequence of sleep apnea.

The main problem with treating sleep apnea is that most people stop using the CPAP machine because of how uncomfortable it is.

The solution lies in exercises for easy breathing that strengthen the muscles around your breathing passages, keeping them open day and night. Learn the details and try them out for yourself here…